Papadopoulos asks for immunity to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee

George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign consultant whose activities sparked off the Russia investigation, arrives at Congressman on Capitol Hill in Washington on October 25, 201

8. (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

Former Trump Election Officer George Papadopoulos, whose efforts to support Russian officials have made him a focal point of Special Adviser Robert S. Mueller III, seeks immunity before agreeing to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, though he has spoken with Member of Parliament for seven hours Behind Closed Doors Thursday

Papadopoulos asked the Senate for Immunity before heading to Capitol Hill on Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Trump campaign with members of the House Judiciary and Oversight and the Government Reform Committees the request is familiar. The Republican members of these panels were sympathetic to Papadopoulo's allegations that he had been "set up" by the FBI with British and Australian officials to give the impression that Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 was out of touch with Russia. Papadopoulos has not published any evidence supporting his claim.

But after his House testimony, Papadopoulos did not drop his claim of immunity to the Senate Intelligence Committee who rarely accepts such requests and probably will not do so in this case since Papadopoulos has already spoken with other lawmakers without such a guarantee.

Witnesses usually seek immunity to avoid possible prosecution as revealed by their statements. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lied to the FBI, and last month he was sentenced to two weeks in prison for these charges. He still has to serve his sentence. But on Friday, Papadopoulos said in Fox News that he "was considering withdrawing his admission of guilt into Mueller's investigation," claiming he was "involved in the investigation."

Papadopoulos, shortly after his conviction, offered to speak with the Senate intelligence service committee members as well as other lawmakers who are interested in hearing from him. At this time he tweeted the chairman of the panel Senator Richard Burr (RN.C.) and Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Deputy chairman of the panel, and said he also wanted his Interactions with those he spoke of were two US intelligence officers at the US Embassy in London, Gregory Baker and Terrence Dudley, claiming that they "wanted to ingratiate themselves with a campaign".

On Thursday, MEP Mark Meadows (RN.C.) said that Papadopoulos had informed parliamentarians about additional contacts with government officials, with the exception of Australian diplomat Alexander Downer, to whom he said in May 2016 that Russia would receive thousands of E -Mails got from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, weeks before this information was published.

This information helped to awaken the federal police's interest in Trump's campaign, leading to the beginning of the counterintelligence investigation focusing on Papado Poulos. Trump's congressional allies have long tried to demonstrate that this decision was made on flawed grounds. On Thursday, Meadows also alleged that FBI officials and the Department of Justice may have breached Papadopoulos' constitutional rights when they examined him, and called on the Ministry of Justice's office to review the actions of certain people he did not name.

Papadopoulos is said He suggested that his contacts be used to do business with Russian officials on behalf of the Trump campaign. However, he told the house companies that he "never knowingly" met with official representatives of the Russian government. During his condemnation last month, his lawyer said Trump nodded "with approval" when Papadopoulos made his suggestion.